Welcome Home, Cowboy
by SafireMustang27
Summary: This story picks up where Phantom, the Protector left off. Jake is home from college for the summer and he and Sam are coming to terms with their feelings for one another. Drama out on the range is not going to make things easy, however. Can Sam make room in her heart for Jake and her beloved Blackie?
1. Chapter 1

Once the thundering herd of horses had disappeared over the ridge, the small group of landowners encouraged Trago back into his helicopter with promises that legal action would be taken if he ever showed his face in the area again. Seth Ely had arrived just in time from his family's lookout to give Trago a speech loaded with legal jargon that seemed to confuse and scare him enough to climb back into his helicopter.

"I'm going to go tell Mom and Dad that we're safe!" Jen yelled to Sam over the roar of the rising helicopter. Sam nodded to show she had heard before her friend reined her horse back towards her family's ranch. The Forster's and their ranch hands had all turned for Riverbend as well, no doubt looking forward to a little peace and quiet after the past few days dealing with Slocum and Trago. Sam was about to urge Ace to follow when she felt a nudge to her knee.

She didn't know how she could have missed the fiery black mare fidgeting next to her, despite the quiet cowboy sitting astride her. The helicopter must have made her temporarily deaf to Witch's annoyed snorts as her rider forced her to stand close to Ace.

"Want to go for a ride?" Jake asked in his simple way, his expressive brown eyes – mustang eyes, Sam thought – looking past her shoulder at the flat playa. They had hardly seen each other since he had returned from college, and Sam had to keep her response from sounding too eager as she grinned at her oldest friend.

"Race you to La Charla?"

The question was hardly out of her mouth when Jake took off. Sam gave a yell of protest as she urged Ace after him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father and the Ely family riding off together laughing amicably, no doubt about the never ending competitiveness between their offspring.

Sam knew she'd have to get lucky to catch Jake and Witch now. The jet-black mare never lost a race when given a head start. Poor little Ace could run as fast as his stocky mustang legs would go and he would never catch Witch. It was a shame Sam had left Tempest at home, though the helicopter would have spooked her to the point of no return. Sam had been dying to show Jake how far her training with the filly had progressed in his absence.

Jake was nearly to the river, a sparkling snake in the midday sun as it wound through the desert. Jake's chin-length black hair had blown out of its leather tie and whipped around underneath his black cowboy hat as he encouraged Witch the last few lengths to the water.

Sam pulled up next to Jake a few seconds late, her jaw already set against his lazy, tom-cat grin. She'd hug a cactus before she'd admit it, but that smile she'd come to know gave her stomach a quick flip.

"You and that mustang of yours still can't catch me," he teased, swinging down off of Witch and leading her to the river's edge. Sam followed suit and rolled her eyes.

"Give me another year to get Tempest riding ready and you'll be in trouble," she retorted. They left the horses ground tied and moved to sit on a boulder, their boulder.

"She giving you much trouble?" Jake asked, keeping his eyes on the flowing water in front of them.

"No more than expected," she shrugged, playing with her frayed braid over her shoulder, "She's still a little head shy. I've been trying to work on getting her used to tack so we won't have a problem when its time to work on accepting riders, but she's not the biggest fan of bits."

"I don't know too many horses who enjoy having metal shoved in their mouths," Jake mused. Sam looked at him indignantly.

"You know I'd never shove a bit in a horses…"

"Easy Brat, I know. Just saying."

As easily as Jake could infuriate her, she was still glad to have him home. Jen was a great girl friend, but when it came to her love of horses the only one that could match her was Jake.

"Maybe you can help me train her this summer…?" Sam suggested, digging her toe in the dirt. She fully expected Jake to tell her he was too busy, that he had to work to pay for school, or even that he didn't want to train some silly filly with her.

But when she looked back up at him he was smiling, in a quiet way that made her skin tingle. How does he do that? She shuddered mentally.

"I always said I'd stick to you like glue, didn't I?" he reminded her of the promise he'd made her five years ago, "Well I haven't done the best job, being at school and all, so I guess I better make up for it."

"Is that your funny way of saying yes, cowboy?" Sam asked, trying to hide the way his declaration affected her. He didn't answer – typical – but stood up and offered Sam a hand. She allowed him to pull her to her feet and followed him back to where the horses grazed on small patches of playa grass.

"Let's put it this way," Jake said as he swung onto Witch's back, "It'd be nice if you had a horse that was an actual challenge for us."

Jake arrived at Riverbend Ranch just before dawn the following morning. Though it was hardly a question, Wyatt had assured Jake the previous day that he still had a job as a wrangler at Riverbend for the summer. While Jake enjoyed college and was proud to receive an education few in his family had, he had missed his routine of racing the sun to Riverbend each morning. Not only that, but he had found himself missing one resident of Riverbend in particular, not that he'd easily admit it.

As Jake tread the familiar path to the barn he crossed ways with Wyatt on his way out of the ranch house.

"Morning Jake," Wyatt touched his hat brim, "Why don't you head up to the house and have some breakfast. Grace has been waiting to get a chance to make sure they feed you right in college."

"Yes sir," Jake replied and veered left towards the house. Any other time and Jake would decline, but he had missed Grace Forster's cinnamon rolls and he had a good chance of running into…

"Oof"

Jake had opened the kitchen door and walked right into a wild haired, pajama clad Sam. To keep her from falling backwards, Jake circled his arms around her quickly.

"Jake!" she squeaked, stepping back from his arms hastily and straightening the oversized t-shirt she wore over a pair of pajama shorts. He couldn't help noticing that her long legs were already tanned and wondered how that happened when he'd only ever known her to wear her tattered pairs of jeans.

He realized too late that he had stared at her legs just a second too long. Sam had obviously asked him something and in his wonder he had missed it. Thanking his ancestors for his dark skin that hid his flaming blush, he cleared his throat and waited for her to repeat herself.

"What brings you to the house?" She mercifully asked again, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. When did we get so uncomfortable around each other? He wondered. It was only a few years ago he had dumped her in a water trough to clean her off for her father's wedding.

Grace entered the kitchen and saved him from answering and sounding as though he had made something up to come gawk at her legs.

"I told Wyatt to send him in," She told Sam, coming over to give Jake a hug, "I need to make sure he puts some weight back on before he goes back to school!"

"Thank you ma'am," Jake took off his hat and hung it by the door before sitting down, "I sure have missed your cooking."

Grace smiled warmly at him and motioned for him to take a seat next to Sam at the table, "I'm going to go see if those chickens have any fresh eggs for me."

Grace headed out into the ranch yard leaving Jake and Sam sitting in an uncomfortable silence. Jake was better at sitting in silence, Sam obviously wasn't.

"So…" She started, easing back in her chair and trying to look nonchalant. She crossed her legs, but the second her bare calf grazed Jake's knee she jolted back upright.

"Sorry," She said, laughing nervously, "So how was school?"

"Good," He answered, not able to come up with a better answer, "Missed it here though."

"It was weird with you gone," Sam admitted, carefully looking up at him through her lashes, "Everyone missed you."

Jake fiddled with a piece of leather around his wrist, but did not break eye contact, as he would have in the past.

"Did you miss me?" He asked, and watched as her eyes widened.

It seemed to take Sam a second to realize that Jake had actually just asked her a question and she hadn't dreamed it. His dark brown mustang eyes were still holding her own, an action that unsettled her as Jake rarely kept eye contact for long.

"Yes," She breathed. Jake's heart sped up, he had not expected her to answer so honestly.

"I mean, it took some getting used to not having you here to boss me around and keep me from having fun," Sam rambled, laughing nervously. That's more like the Sam I know, he thought to himself.

Jake had carefully hidden his expression, before replacing it with his usual tomcat grin.

"Someone's gotta keep you from hurtin' yourself, Brat," He said, his laughing eyes drawing the rise out of her as they always did.

"I was just fine without you for the past year," She replied, crossing her arms indignantly. Jake nearly rolled his eyes, but decided that would not help matters.

"Well then I guess you don't need me," He said, standing up from the table. He half-heartedly took a step towards his hat on the wall when she grabbed his arm.

"Yes I do." She said softly and Jake turned to find her blushing madly, but holding his gaze, "It's just not the same without you."

Her hand was still on his arm and Jake had nearly mustered up the courage to take it in his own when the kitchen door swung open. Sam jumped back into her chair and took a gulp of coffee, spluttering when she realized it was still too hot to drink.

"Goodness Samantha," Grace said as she set down her basket of fresh eggs on the counter, "I'm always telling you to slow down."

Jake took his seat again and dared a sidelong look at the red head. Her blush had grown, but she gave him a small smile that gave him a little hope. The summer was starting to look promising.


	2. Chapter 2

Things had gone back to normal since breakfast and Sam was finally able to relax with Jake by midday. He had some work to do with her dad that morning, so Sam spent an extra long time grooming Tempest and cleaning her tack before taking her to the corral.

She wanted to get the filly's tack on before Jake arrived back from checking the herd. Although she would not admit it to him, she wanted Jake to be impressed by how far she had come as a trainer in his absence. His approval had always meant a lot to her, and it was not something easily won.

"Alright girl," Sam cooed, rubbing circles down her dark gray neck, "just like the other day, ok?"

Tempest stood calmly while she rubbed the saddle pad up and down her back; this was the easy part. She gently laid it on her back and moved to get the saddle. The filly eyed the heavy leather object but stood still while Sam showed it to her. In the past few weeks Tempest had easily accepted both the pad and the saddle, but Sam knew she should not count on a mustang's track record.

The saddle was on and Sam loosely cinched the girth. It was time for the hard part, the bridle. Tempest was still a little bit shy and did not like Sam holding onto her head to keep her still.

"We'll do this nice and slow, girl," she murmured as she picked up the bridle. Tempest's ears pricked and she shifted her weight. Sam began by moving the headstall all around the filly's face to familiarize her with it being close. Tempest raised her head a bit but stayed still.

"Ok girl, I'm going to put these on either side now," She told her horse as she moved the cheek straps into place with the bit dangling below her mouth. Tempest nodded her head a bit, moving Sam's hand and making the bit jingle.

"Its ok," she whispered, rubbing a hand on her muzzle first before bringing the bit close to it. She put a little pressure on the corners of the filly's mouth, but this only made Tempest shake her head and back up a step.

"Come on girl, it won't hurt," She said, trying to keep her voice steady and even. She held Tempest's head with her other hand and tried once more to open her mouth.

In an instant Tempest squealed and wheeled away, pulling Sam face first into the dirt before she galloped off to the other side of the corral. Sam groaned and slammed her fist into the dust.

"Sam! You okay?" The last voice she wanted to hear at that moment called, and she could hear his footsteps hurry over to her.

"Fine." She huffed as she picked herself up. Jake grabbed her elbow and his eyes appeared to glance over her quickly to see for himself.

"It's just a little dirt, cowboy." She drawled before shoving her hat back on her head and striding after Tempest. She had NOT wanted him to see that.

"She really hates the bit, huh?" Jake said. He had caught up to her and was walking with her towards Tempest.

"Yep." She said, annoyed, "She probably was startled by you coming up too."

Jake smirked and his mustang eyes shone, "Then she has a slow reaction time. I've been standing there half an hour."

Sam's stomach flipped, but she hid her expression as she turned toward her horse. How had she not realized he had been watching? Jake turned and walked back to pick up the bridle lying in the dirt as Sam returned her attention to the wayward filly.

Tempest had stopped running and stood watching Sam lazily as if nothing had happened. Sam rolled her eyes and clipped the lead to her halter, heading back to the other side of the arena. Jake stood there, appraising Tempest carefully.

"You are very focused with her, it shows," Jake said when she returned, "She's lucky you care so much."

Sam felt the heat rise in her cheeks and the frustration melted away. He approved, and Sam almost couldn't believe it.

"Of course I care," Sam said, rubbing Tempest's neck once more, "If we're going to work together than we have to start with a strong relationship. This cowboy taught me that once."

Jake flashed her a genuine smile that she felt all the way to her toes. Sam couldn't help but grin back like a fool. If things kept up the way they were going, she'd go crazy by summer's end.

"Now, I know an old native American trick to get this in her mouth," He said, taking a bottle out of his back pocket. Surprised, Sam realized it was the honey bottle. Jake put some on his fingers first and held them out to Tempest.

The filly's nostrils flared and she lipped the tip of Jake's fingers. When he withdrew them, she followed wanting more. Sam laughed as her friend tried to keep the eager horse at bay while he applied the honey to the bit.

"Native American trick you say?" Sam questioned as he pushed Tempest's nose away again, "I didn't think they even used bridles back then…"

"Okay, so it's a more recent trick. Here you go girl, you can have this," He said and held the bit out in front of Tempest. Forgetting her fear of the metal, Tempest reached out and put the bit completely in her mouth. Quickly, Jake secured the headstall and held out the reins to Sam.

"Ta da!" He smiled. Sam could have been frustrated that he had solved her problem so easily, but she was too busy laughing at Tempest nosing his hands for more honey.


	3. Chapter 3

"Guess I'm going to have to wean her off honey now," Sam said as they put Tempest back in her pasture after lunch that afternoon.

"Won't be too hard," Jake shrugged, "The key is for her to associate the bit with good things."

"Face it, you spoil horses," Sam teased, heading for Ace's stall. Wyatt had asked them to check the fences, and the best way was on horseback.

"Says the peppermint princess," Jake scoffed. Sam smiled and pulled the very object out of her pocket. The noise of the wrapper made Ace poke his head over his door.

"He loves me," Sam sighed, stroking her pony's velvet nose. Jake shook his head.

"Some love, reinforced by candy," he said, opening the stall where he kept Witch. The black mare truly did love him, and she proved it by not allowing anyone else to touch her without a swift bite or kick. He stroked her neck quietly for a moment and was surprised when Sam appeared next to him in Witch's stall.

"I don't need candy for every horse you know," She said and walked up to Witch. Jake tensed, ready to pull Sam out of harms way, but the ornery mare didn't flinch. Sam scratched her black withers and Witch turned to nudge Sam _gently_.

"Who do you think rode her while you were at school?" Sam shrugged.

Jake struggled to mask his surprise. He knew Witch had been kept in shape, but he assumed his brothers lunged her or possibly even attempted to ride her. He didn't think that Sam would take her on. He was even more surprised at how kind Witch was towards his friend.

"She wouldn't let anyone else near her." Sam explained, "I'm sorry, I hope it's alright."

Jake shook himself out of shock, "No, its fine. Its good, I just can't believe she let you near her."

Sam shrugged, "I guess she knew me pretty well. I had to work a little bit to actually make her like me. I wore that old track sweatshirt you gave me, and I think it helped because it still smells like you…"

Sam seemed to realize she was saying too much, because she blushed bright red and excused herself to tack up Ace. Jake couldn't help the giddy feeling that erupted into a grin at the thought of her wearing his sweatshirt and winning over his mare. He had the sudden urge to never leave Riverbend again and stay by Sam's side as long as possible. It wasn't such a bad idea, he thought.

"You going to tack that horse, or check fences on foot?" Sam called from the stable entrance.

A few minutes later Jake met Sam out in the yard with a fully tacked Witch. They swung up and jogged off in the direction of the north pasture. Jake noticed Sam was biting her lip and decided to break the awkward silence.

"So how often do you wear my sweatshirt?" He asked, and Sam's jaw dropped. She was not used to him being so forward. He just smiled.

"Well this is the desert, I don't need it in the heat."

"It can get cool at night." He countered. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Why do you want to know? You did give it to me, its mine." She pushed Ace into a faster jog to keep up with Witch.

"Why do you wear it?" He asked, and now his tone was serious. He was actually curious about the answer to his question, and slightly nervous too.

"Well it helps Witch…" She said, and Jake felt a twinge of disappointment.

"I see." He said, looking down at the fence he was supposed to be inspecting as they rode. He had already bared too much and being vulnerable was not something he made a habit of. He heard Sam exhale loudly but didn't trust himself to look back. They continued in silence for another half hour, not finding any breaks in the ratchet wire, until they came upon the La Charla.

"Let's let the horses have a drink and rest," Sam said, dismounting next to a Joshua tree and letting Ace enjoy the fresh water. Jake followed suit and joined her under the tree, still silent and not trusting himself to speak.

"Jake," Sam said, not looking at him but staring at her hands as she wrung them together, "Witch wasn't happy when you left. She got even more angry, if possible and wouldn't even let your brothers bring her in the barn."

Jake raised his eyebrows. No one had told him about Witch's behavior. They probably didn't want him dropping everything at school over a horse, which he might have done had he known.

"I knew you wouldn't want her to continue like that, so I made it a priority to help her," Sam said, holding up her hand when he tried to thank her, or possibly scold her for involving herself with a rogue mare, "I knew how she was feeling, you going to college was hard for everyone, but she couldn't understand where you were or that you would come back."

Jake nodded. His heart had jumped when Sam admitted to empathizing with his mare.

"The sweatshirt did remind Witch of you, and when I realized that I used it to help her bond with me," Sam took a deep breath and glanced at him, "But that's not why I was wearing it in the first place. I probably wear that thing every night. I started wearing it in September after my first cattle drive without you. It's so big on me, but it comforts me. It makes me feel safe. Kind of like you do."

Sam wasn't blushing, but she was desperately blinking back the tears that had sprung to her eyes. Jake's heart was pounding now, but he hardly noticed. He was focused on the red head next to him, silently begging her to continue.

"So if you were wondering why I wear it, its because I missed you. I missed you a lot and I think its because I'm a lot more attached to you than I realized. I guess I'm like Witch in that way." She smiled a little and glanced at him again.

Jake didn't even try to hide his emotions now. He was sad, because he had made her unhappy, but he couldn't ignore the thrill he felt when she admitted her attachment to him. He just hoped it was the same kind of attachment he had to her, one of more than just friendship.

Sam looked up at Jake after her confession. She hadn't exactly spilled all her feelings, but she knew Jake could figure it out. His usual stone-faced expression was gone, and in its place she saw everything. He was surprised, he was proud, he was happy, and he was even a little sad. His deep brown eyes found hers and he shook his head, his mouth slightly open with unsaid thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Sam said quickly, brushing her hands off on her jeans and standing up, "I didn't mean to unload on you. Just answering your question."

She started to walk towards Ace when she felt Jake catch her arm and pull her back to him. He caught her off guard and she ended up stumbling into his chest. Jake didn't seem to mind and grasped her by her upper arms. When she looked up at him her stomach gave a flip as she saw the spark in his deep brown eyes.

"Just give me a second, Samantha, will you?" He said, though his tone was softer than usual, so she didn't argue. She rarely argued when he used her full name. He didn't remove his hold on her arms.

"Sam, I missed you too," He began, his eyes holding her steady, "A lot. And I didn't have a sweatshirt, but I did have that drawing of Blackie you gave me. I put it on the back of my door so every time I left I knew I was that much closer to seeing you again."

Sam's eyes were wide, but there was a hint of a smile forming on her face. Jake slid his hands down her arms, giving her goose bumps, to take her hands.

"I missed Witch, but it was you who I thought about everyday," he said, and Sam was amazed Jake Ely, man of few words, was even still speaking, "You've always been my Sam."

Tears leaked from Sam's eyes unbidden as she took a quick breath. Jake was still holding her hands and his mustang eyes were alive with passion.

"So what does that mean, Jake?" She asked quietly. The butterflies stirred in her stomach, but she had to know. The feelings that she had for Jake that had been locked in her heart for so long were screaming to get out, but she waited with bated breath for him to confirm her hope.

Jake stared down at her for a moment and Sam was suddenly worried he would revert to his shy cowboy self and clam up. But instead of his hand shooting to the back of his neck he squeezed hers tighter. Instead of looking down at his scuffed boots he held her gaze. College had done him some good, Sam couldn't help thinking.

"I guess it means I'm pretty attached to you too, Brat," He said softly. Sam felt a twinge of disappointment, although she couldn't blame him when she had used the same vague words to describe her feelings. But Jake, for once, wasn't done talking.

"And I don't mean attached like 'stuck like glue'," He repeated his old protective mantra, "I mean, heck Sam, I've always loved you like my own sibling, but they aren't half as pretty and sure don't give me nerves like you have a way of doing. You drive me crazy but I wouldn't have it any other way. Seems I can't help falling for you as much as you can't help falling off that crazy horse of yours."

Sam didn't bother taking the time to ask which horse or even take offense at his comment. Her brain was too busy processing the fact that Jacob Ely had just admitted to falling in love with her. He had even said the word 'love' somewhere in that multi-worded confession, which had Sam's eyes as big as the moon. She had to take a deep breath before she even considered responding.

Jake waited patiently for her reaction. He hadn't meant to come right out and tell her he loved her, he didn't even know that's what he felt until this moment. He was thankful he hadn't strung those exact three words together quite yet, but there was something about Sam that broke through all of his reservations.

Sam seemed to have collected herself after her initial shock and Jake was suddenly nervous at what she might have to say. He was about to start kicking himself for saying so much when Sam grinned.

"Seems you can't keep me from falling off that horse as much as you can't keep me from loving you Jacob Ely."

Looking back on that moment, Jake would later regret not pulling Sam to him and kissing her immediately. Instead he had to replay what she had just said in his mind to be sure he had heard her correctly. His heart was pounding wildly as he tugged her closer.

"Sam I…"

 _CRASH_

There were days Jake really hated that horse.


	4. Chapter 4

The Phantom stormed out of the brush, galloping a few yards past where they stood before he planted his back feet and reared. For the first time ever, Sam wasn't entirely thrilled to see him. She was certain Jake had been about to tell her he felt the same; either that or kiss her, either would have been fine by her. Then Blackie had wrecked the moment.

Jake muttered something that sounded like "Figures" while Sam took a closer look at her old horse. Something was definitely off. The silvery stallion stamped his feet and looked at Sam impatiently, waiting for her to catch on to his problem.

"The rope, Sam," Jake said suddenly, pointing at the stallion's sweaty gray neck. Sure enough a lasso was settled firmly around the horse's muscular neck, and from the looks of the bloodied rub marks it had not been welcomed.

"Trago," Sam growled, certain the man had been the one to try and catch her horse again. She tried to calm her anger so as not to scare off the Phantom, but in this case it was difficult.

"It couldn't have been him, Sam," Jake shook his head, "Seth threatened a suit against him. He took off for Montana yesterday."

Sam wasn't convinced; these bad guys always seemed to come back. If it wasn't Trago, she was sure it still had something to do with Linc Slocum. He was obsessed with catching the Phantom, and she doubted jail would keep him from trying.

The first thing she needed to do was get that rope off of the Phantom's neck. He was still agitated, but Sam knew he would let her close enough to remove it.

The trouble would be getting Jake to let her get close enough.

She glanced quickly at the silent cowboy and found him watching her with a look she hadn't seen in a while. The wary, "this is not a good idea" look she usually rebelled against. How was it they had been so close to kissing not two minutes ago, yet now they were back to being the wild child and the fun police?

"You know I have to." Sam told him simply, edging a step in the Phantom's direction. Jake clenched his jaw and looked over to where the great white horse was still prancing in place.

"You could wait for someone to tranq him…" he suggested, but his tone didn't sound convinced.

"You know he won't come to us again, not like this," Sam argued, taking another step. The Phantom snorted but his hooves seemed to settle down.

"Stop telling me what I know, Brat," Jake ground out, quietly so not to scare the stallion, "I just wish there were another way. I wish you weren't the only one he let near him."

In the past Sam might argue with him, but she had come to know him a little better in the past 24 hours. So instead she reached out and squeezed his hand, saying "I know."

Jake's eyes softened a little and he gave a short nod before letting go of her hand. Sam turned her attention back to Blackie, who had quieted down as he watched the two humans. He seemed to be studying them, trying to figure them out. Sam knew if he suspected Jake was trying to "steal" her he might challenge him, so she attempted to put some distance between them. As she approached slowly, he turned his attention back to her. Even though they shared a special bond, Sam always had to remember that he was not a tame horse.

"Zanzibar," She whispered when she was close enough. Gray ears perked up at her voice. He pawed with his foreleg and Sam could almost hear Jake's teeth grinding behind her.

"Easy boy, I just want to get that rope off your neck," Sam murmured, coming within a few feet of him. He eyed her warily, but did not shy away as a typical mustang would have. From her closer position she could tell that the rope was tight, biting into the Phantom's neck. Loosening, let along removing it, would be a challenge.

Sam held her hand out and inched closer, allowing the stallion to smell her hand before she placed it gently on his shoulder. The great horse flinched but did not move.

"Good boy," She cooed, stroking his shoulder gently. She wished she had thought to ask Jake for his knife, it would make removing the rope a lot easier. First she had to loosen it, and with his skin rubbed raw around the rope it would not be easy.

"Steady Blackie," She whispered, placing one hand on the rope's knot. The Phantom tossed his head and snorted, obviously in pain. Sam took a deep breath. She caught a glimpse of Jake standing several yards away, his hands were fisted at his sides and he stared helplessly at her. She knew this killed him, being unable to protect her.

When the Phantom was breathing easier with her hand still on the rope's knot, she cautiously began to pull it away from his neck, loosening the noose. She had pulled the noose until it was around 5 inches from his neck when it suddenly snagged. Sam gasped as the Phantom squealed and reared back. She heard Jake's strangled cry, "Sam!" and fell back away from the thrashing hooves. The Phantom landed and took off at a gallop, narrowly swerving around Jake, who had run forward towards Sam.

Jake wasn't sure how his heart managed the emotional roller coaster that was the past 30 minutes. From anxiety, to elation, to love, to anger, to fear, he was sure he had covered more feelings in that past half hour than he had in the past year. As soon as Blackie had taken off he had charged him. Jake could care less about the jealous stallion's agenda and side stepped the horse's charge on his way to Sam, letting the Phantom gallop off into the desert again.

Jake felt a new feeling, relief, as soon as he saw Sam. She was sitting in the dirt, but otherwise unharmed. Frustration was clearly written all over her pretty face.

"Are you ok?" Jake asked as he pulled her to her feet, quickly checking for any visible signs of injury.

"No I'm not," Sam growled, "He still has that darn rope around his neck! I only loosened it enough to catch on a branch and break his neck!"

"You don't know that, he might be able to slip it off himself now," he said, knowing before he spoke the words that she would not buy it. She was already marching towards Ace, determination settling over all of her features. Jake sighed, there was no way they were revisiting their earlier conversation anytime soon.

He barely had time to swing up on Witch by the time Sam had urged Ace in the direction the Phantom had disappeared in. Logically he knew that the stallion could be a danger to himself with the rope around his neck, but he also knew it would take a dangerous act to remove it. He could only guess who would be willing to commit said dangerous act to save the horse, and was determined not to let Sam get hurt.

Jake and Witch quickly caught up to the little mustang, despite Ace's best effort to gallop as fast as he could. One glance at Sam and Jake knew she had lost the Phantom's trail. Her eyes scanned the flat expanse before them for any flash of white. Jake's mouth pressed into a hard line as he debated his options. On one hand it would take him just a few minutes to read the earth and determine which way the stallion had gone, but he knew if he did Sam would be off towards certain danger.

Witch slowed beneath him and one look at the fiery redhead beside him told him the decision may have already been made. Sam had slowed Ace to a walk and directed her gaze at him. Her hopeful, yet determined, expression told him all he needed to know.

"Sam…"

"I know you can find him, Jake."

"That's not the point!" He stopped Witch abruptly, ignoring when the mare tossed her head in protest.

"Sure it is! You know as well as I do that a loose rope could kill a wild horse, Jake," She stopped Ace in front of him, entreating him with a desperate look, "I need a tracker to find him."

"And what do you plan on doing then?" He didn't bother with keeping the frustration out of his tone, "He's a wild stallion Sam, and he's been cooped up in that valley for a long time. We don't know what he'll do if you try and remove the rope."

"I just need your knife this time…"

"My tracking, my knife," Jake threw his free hand in the air, "Sounds like you're asking a lot of me just to help you get hurt."

"He won't hurt me Jake!"

"He has before!"

Sam stared at him. It had been a long time since her accident had come up and hearing the words from Jake felt like a slap in the face. Her defensive words died in her throat, however, when she saw the fear and the… guilt… in Jake's expression. Maybe it wasn't Blackie she should be defending.

"It wasn't his fault," She said calmly, moving Ace as close as Witch allowed.

"I know it wasn't." He said flatly. Before she could say anything else he was reaching in his pocket and handing her his knife. She paused, confused, before slowly taking it from him. Jake didn't look her in the eye, instead turned his focus to the ground around them. In less than a minute he was squinting into the distance.

"I know I can't stop you, but I'm not going to watch your get hurt either." He said in the same flat tone, then pointed toward some run down brush she hadn't noticed, "He went that way. I'll wait here."

"Jake…"

"Be careful." His eyes finally met hers. Mustang eyes, as she once described them. His jaw was set stubbornly against her, but his eyes held concern.

"I will be." She said confidently. She was determined not to disappoint him, but she could not in good conscience let the Phantom injure himself. She set off in the direction Jake had suggested, careful not to look back to see her friend, her protector, her… whatever he was now.

The trampled brush was easy enough to follow, and it was clear that the Phantom had been through recently. Scanning the area Sam tried to remember what Jake had taught her about tracking over the years. When she exited the brush her gaze was drawn to the fresh hoofprints that dotted the dirt. A small thrill of accomplishment ran through her as she followed the trail towards a watering hole that was known to attract local mustangs. As she reached the small drop off that led down to the water her breath caught in her throat. There was her horse, pacing the water's edge with the rope still hanging from his scarred neck.

Sam quietly dismounted from Ace and left him ground tied at the crest of the hill. As she made her way down, her foot occasionally caught on the loose dirt of the bank which alerted the stallion to her presence. He gave a nervous snort but stood his ground, watching the girl carefully.

"Hey there Zanzibar," She murmured as she inched closer. The stallion tossed his mane and pranced in place for a moment, reminding her once again that he was not tame. She slowed her movements, carefully trying to avoid eye contact like Jake had taught her so many years ago. 'Eye contact is threatening to a wild horse, it makes you look like a predator,' his words ran through her head.

When she was within a few yards of the horse she carefully removed Jake's knife from her pocket. Even though it was silly, having something of Jake's made her more confident. The truth was that, whether or not he supported her, he hadn't stood in her way. She couldn't remember the last time that had happened. There was a significance there that she decided to think on after she had freed her horse.

The Phantom had stopped prancing and now watched her warily as she calmly approached. She held the knife out of sight so as not to alarm him. When she held her hand out she waited for him to gently blow out through his nostrils before advancing.

"That's a boy," she soothed, reaching out to stroke his shoulder. She could see now the mark the rope had left on his neck when it had been tightened. The deep lesions clearly showed that someone had managed to lasso the horse and struggled to hold him before the Phantom escaped. She thought briefly that the cuts would need to be monitored for infection, but knew her time to cut through the rope was limited. Gently taking the coarse loop in her hands, she began to saw with the pocket knife.

"I think I'll get Jake a new knife after this, boy," She murmured to the horse as she painstakingly cut through thread after thread, "his knife is getting a little dull."

The Phantom's ears swiveled back to listen to her but he graciously stayed still. The lasso was tough, but Sam patiently stuck with her task and prayed for the stallion to stay patient too. She knew Jake would be sweating if he could see her now.

Jake had to focus on his breathing as he silently crested the small hill past where Ace stood grazing. He was thankful his heritage had bestowed upon him the trait of 'silent sneaking', as Sam had once put it, for this very moment. Though he had told Sam he couldn't watch, he also couldn't not watch. If something happened to her he wouldn't be able to live with himself, not again.

Jake thought he was over the guilt he had felt as a child when Sam had fallen from her horse and been kicked in the head. He had even gone through four years of being her protective shadow once she had returned just to feel like he had made it up to her. That had only led to him falling head over heels for he and feeling even more like he needed to keep her safe at all times. But Sam would never make that job easy.

He dropped to his knees as he reached the peak of the small slope so the Phantom wouldn't be spooked by his presence. It didn't take long for him to find Sam, and no matter how docile the stallion looked at that moment, it didn't keep his heart from plummeting when he saw just how close she stood to saw at the rope. He cursed himself silently for not sharpening his pocket knife more regularly.

He could see Sam's lips moving as she quietly reassured the mustang. One of his great white ears stayed locked on her while the other searched for any disturbances to their quiet sanctuary. Jake forced himself to breathe so slowly that he prayed he wouldn't pass out due to lack of oxygen.

Just when he thought he couldn't stand it any longer, the rope came apart in Sam's hands. She slowly removed the corded trap and, after peering a little too closely at the wound on his neck, backed away from the Phantom. Sensing his freedom, Blackie jigged in place for a moment before scrambling up the opposite bank and galloping to freedom.

Jake let loose a breath he didn't know he was capable of holding. He watched Sam pocket his knife and wind the rope up in her hands, no doubt to take back for evidence. A prickly feeling told him this adventure with the Phantom was nowhere near finished.

As she turned his way, he stood up from his hiding place. When she discovered him watching, her hesitant smile reminded him of the turbulent hour they had just been through. First they all but declared their love to each other, only to be disrupted by the horse that had separated them so many years ago. Then he had basically given her the tools to a dangerous mission against every instinct he had, and now that she had succeeded he didn't know whether to be glad or wary of what was to come.

"You watched?" she asked as she reached him. She handed over the blasted pocket knife that had probably cost him a few years off his life for how long it took to cut through a rope.

"I tried not to." He shrugged, his hand flying to the back of his neck on an old instinct. Sam raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

"You didn't stop me."

"I wanted to."

"But you didn't." She said, squaring herself up across from him, "Why?"

Jake sighed. He wasn't even sure why he had let her go after the horse when everything in him told him not to. He wanted her safe, that was his mantra, but part of him also knew her happiness was just as important and that - because of who she was - would occasionally compromise her safety. He had to learn to trust her even if it meant trusting her with the most important thing in the world to him. Her.

"I knew you wouldn't rest until you saw he was ok," He said finally, "So I figured I'd rather you go after him with me here than wait for you to sneak off on your own later."

Sam digested his words for a moment and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head. He knew he sounded like the old Jake, but he almost hoped she would see through him and understand.

"I'm done sneaking off, Jake," She said quietly, "If you're ready to trust me I'm ready to do things together, as a team."

He knew she was smart.

"So you're going to include me in your crazy schemes now?" he couldn't resist a little teasing, his tomcat grin spreading across his face. She smiled at him and took a step closer.

"You wouldn't like me any other way, cowboy."

Jake took her hand and pulled her the rest of the way, "You're right about that, ma'am."

This time, no raging stallion, avalanche, or bandit could stop him from kissing her.


End file.
